


Gratuitous (adj.) - 2. Given or done free of charge.

by RosesTeaAndRain



Category: Good Omens (TV), Good Omens - Neil Gaiman & Terry Pratchett
Genre: Crowley Was Raphael Before He Fell (Good Omens), Fluff, I love her, Meddling, Multi, My First Work in This Fandom, but also if you wanna beta??? message me, her name is adah, please be nice to her, she's also a bit autistic, she's clairvoyant, tell me if i'm doing it wrong please i don't know, the almighty likes her, this isn't beta-ed we die like men, tragic backstory
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-06-26
Updated: 2019-11-02
Packaged: 2020-05-19 23:11:21
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 3
Words: 5,902
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19365643
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RosesTeaAndRain/pseuds/RosesTeaAndRain
Summary: The first time Adah visited the A.Z. Fell & Co. bookshop, the bright ding of the bell hardly matched the atmosphere of the little store. She had been admiring its storefront for weeks, the columns and deep burgundy paint almost calling to her. Now though, after she had finally given in to her temptation, she felt rather compelled to leave. It seemed as though the store was exasperated she was there. Or, at least, whomever so occupied it.Adah Nunes had never been afraid of dying. She didn't like thinking about how she would die, as there was a good chance of it being painful, but death itself didn't scare her. When a bomb dropped on a church that it most definitely shouldn't have in 1941, she died without fear. She woke up a bit trepidatious though, with a new stim and a woman's voice repeating in her head. "Find my angels."





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> I'm not entirely sure where this is going, but Adah meets the boys. As always, comments are appreciated. Enjoy!

The first time Adah visited the A.Z. Fell & Co. bookshop, the bright ding of the bell hardly matched the atmosphere of the little store. She had been admiring its storefront for weeks, the columns and deep burgundy paint almost calling to her. Now though, after she had finally given in to her temptation, she felt rather compelled to leave. It seemed as though the store was exasperated she was there. Or, at least, whomever so occupied it.

She had to make a decision one way or another, as the rain outside seemed to be picking up and she couldn’t linger in the open doorway forever. Steeling herself, Adah took the final step inside and shut the door gently. She shrugged off her deep blue raincoat and hung it on the coat rack right beside the door, careful not to fling water on any of the books strewn about. 

She took a moment to absorb her surroundings, reveling in the warm glow of the lamps, the smell of old books and cinnamon, and the inherent feeling of love. It calmed the rapid, nervous beating of her heart and warmed her skin which was damp from the rain.

Creaking footsteps broke Adah out of her reverie and her heel scuffed against the floor as she waited for, presumably, the owner of the little shop, Mr. Fell himself, to emerge from the hallway. When he did, he looked very much like he did not want her to be there. Well, actually, when he emerged that wall of exasperation smacked her in the face like a downy pillow and she knew at least part of it was aimed at her. If he looked that way, Adah could not have told you.

She immediately fixed on the man’s tartan-plaid bowtie, eyes flickering over the pattern. It amused her, the distortion of lines, even if it made her eyes go wonky for a moment.

“Well,” the man said with a false brightness that made her eyes narrow, “anything I can help you with my dear?” She could tell he did not want to help her. In fact, he very much wanted her to leave. She very much wanted to stay, though, so stay she would. At least, until her lunch break was over.

“Not really. I just want to look around. I don’t intend on buying anything if that’s alright with you. Bit down right now.” She paused and inhaled lightly, feeling too much love for many of these books to be new. She patted her back pocket absently. “I have gloves I can wear if you like. Smells old in here, in a good way. Protect the books and all that.” Her eyes were bouncing over his fluffy, platinum curls now. She blinked rapidly when a large-fingered hand interrupted her ministrations, running over his head. Her eyes flickered to his watery blue ones and she flashed the sweetest smile she could muster.

He cocked his head at her, sending a whiff of… Relief? It almost seemed as if he was glad she didn’t want to buy any books. From his bookshop. “Ah. Okay. I do appreciate the gloves. Erm… Do holler if you have any questions.” He looked at her for a second more before turning and retreating back the way he came. Adah watched him go, eyes circling a small patch of glowing white between his shoulder blades. Odd man, she thought. And, as he turned back to glance at her and she caught his bright eyes, she caught a bit of his thoughts too. 

_Odd girl. I like her. ___

__  
_ _

__The fourth time Adah entered the bookshop, barely a week later, (the second time was hardly eventful; Mr. Fell had smiled at her, glanced at her hands to check for gloves, and then returned to the book he seemed to be pouring over. Adah had spent her twenty minutes there trying to search for the oldest manuscript in the store: the current winner was a worn copy of the Prophecies of Nostradamus. The third time, she had talked with Mr. Fell briefly, but the bakery began getting a bit of a rush and she had to head back.), Mr. Fell was seated at a small table that she was positive wasn’t there two days ago. A small plate of scones sat in front of him. He looked up from his book and smiled at her as if he had been expecting her. It made Adah nervous._ _

__

__“Hello again! Lovely to see you..?” Well, at least that statement was genuine. She cocked her head at him, unsure as to what he was getting at, but smiled nonetheless._ _

__

__“You as well, Mr. Fell. How are you doing?”_ _

__

__His eyebrows raised minutely. “Well, my dear. Quite well.” She nodded her head, satisfied, and turned to lose herself in the stacks for a little while. She was stopped in her motions by a gentle hand on her shoulder and a wall of ineffable love that slammed into her at his touch. _This _, she thought, methodically clenching and unclenching her fists to control her urge to scream, _is why I don’t touch people, dammit! _Relaxing a bit as his hand fell away, Adah turned back to the stout man behind her and looked at him as expectantly as she could muster.______

___“What is your name, my dear? Just thought I’d ask, as it seems you’ve made frequenting my shop a habit. Not that I mind, of course.” He shrugged, hands coming to fold together over his belly. She smiled in a way that was more of a grimace, but she didn’t know that._ _ _

___ _

___“Adah,” she said in a voice that rang through the empty shop._ _ _

___ _

___“Adah…?”_ _ _

___ _

___“Yes, Adah.”_ _ _

___ _

___He was confused. It made her confused. Her hand flapped slightly by her sides._ _ _

___ _

___“Any last name?”_ _ _

___ _

___“No, thank you.”_ _ _

___ _

___Adah needed to leave, now. Mr. Fell was a bit too inquisitive and felt everything a bit too strongly and Adah was getting overwhelmed. Glad she hadn’t taken her coat off, the woman rushed out the door and into the throng. This wasn't much better, but at least everyone else felt a little less strongly._ _ _

___  
_ _ _

___The fifth time Adah visited, she carried a small basket of muffins with her. After a small talk with her boss (Ms. White was rather lovely, and had deemed herself Adah’s translator to the rest of the world), she realized she may have upset the lovely man with her abrupt leaving, and couldn’t have that. The little bookshop was becoming a bit of a haven; she didn’t want to upset its proprietor._ _ _

___ _

___“Mr. Fell,” she called as she stepped into the building, “I do fear I was rather rude during my last visit. I come bearing gifts.” She walked over to place the basket on the table. She couldn’t shake the feeling of being watched, so she puttered about unwrapping the cloth from her baked goods for a moment to see if the feeling would go away, but to no avail._ _ _

___ _

___“Oh do stop watching me from the shadows. It rather irritating and you’re not subtle.”_ _ _

___ _

___A chuckle that sounded more like a hiss came from the adjacent corner of the front room, and the clicking of heeled boots began approaching her. She waited another moment before turning. She shouldn’t have waited._ _ _

___ _

___She was now face-to-face (or, face-to-chest. She had to tilt her head a decent amount upwards to look at his face, even in her heels. He was wearing heels too, she mused. Maybe they were canceling each other out) with a man. He was a rather abrupt sight, his pointed features and flaming hair cutting through the warmth of the bookshop like a hot knife through butter._ _ _

___ _

___His presence annoyed her, quite extremely so. The smirk on his face made him seem like he was probably the type of bloke that enjoyed annoying people too, which only ticked her off more._ _ _

___ _

___She snarled at him. “Get. The fuck. Out of my face.”_ _ _

___ _

___“Or what, princess?” His smirk only grew. Adah could feel her confidence wavering and her eyes were having trouble staying on his dark sunglasses._ _ _

___ _

___“Well you se-see,” she stuttered, “You have conveniently placed you groin in perfect shot of my knee, and with just a little bit of effort I could-”_ _ _

___ _

___“Crowley!”_ _ _

___ _

___Adah was effectively cut off by Mr. Fell’s scandalized yelp as he rushed into the front room. _Took him long enough. _____ _

___ _

___The tall man in front of her took enough of a step back for Adah to slip out from between him and the table and fall into a chair, shaking hand fumbling for the pocket of her jacket._ _ _

___ _

___“Adah?” the voice sounded muffled, “Adah? Are you alright?”_ _ _

___ _

___“I don’t know,” she whispered, “I don’t know I don’t know I don’t know.” She pulled the shimmering pink worry stone out of her pocket, working at it with her thumb. She let herself fall into the motion, pulling her back down. Her right foot slid against the floor, attempting to gain ground. Useless in shoes, she thought. She toed them off and started again._ _ _

___ _

___A touch on the arm and a breeze of concern shocked her eyes open. She wasn’t even aware they had been closed. Taking a moment to curl and uncurl her toes, and then do it again, she looked up into stormcloud eyes._ _ _

___ _

___“Adah, dear, I’ve sent Crowley to the kitchen to make tea. Don’t worry, he’s been properly admonished. Would you like to stay here?” He searched her eyes some. She didn’t like it and let her eyes fall back to his bowtie._ _ _

___ _

___She nodded. “Books.” She repeated over and over again, her gaze jumping between spines. Mr. Fell nodded, understanding written in his thoughts. He rather liked being out here with the books too, she could tell._ _ _

___ _

___Adah rubbed her foot against the floor and her thumb against her worry stone and she watched. She watched a bird fly by outside the window. She watched a little girl and her mother exit the building across the street. She watched the dust particles settle in the sunlight. She watched Mr. Fell watch her. By the time she was watching Mr. Crowley return with two mugs, she could feel the floor beneath her feet properly again._ _ _

___ _

___One mug, a glimmering white one with angel wings as the handle (way to be inconspicuous) was gently placed in front of Mr. Fell. The man shot a gleaming smile up to Mr. Crowley, and Adah couldn’t contain the roll of her eyes. The other one, a deep forest green, was slid across the table slowly. The man at least had the decency to look like he regretted his actions a little._ _ _

___ _

___“Do forgive me,” Adah said into her mug, the steam warming her face. “Proximity and eye contact does get a bit much some days, you see. Even through glasses.”_ _ _

___ _

___Mr. Fell nodded, a small smile on his lips. She liked his face quite a lot. Bright. Kind. A bit enrapturing. The type of face you would do anything to get a smile out of._ _ _

___ _

_Why is she staring at him like that? ___

___ _

_Why did he call her ‘my dear’? ___

___ _

_Who is she? ___

___ _

_What was that? ___

___ _

_I need answ- ___

___ _

___“Mr. Crowley, do you always think this bloody hard? In the kindest way possible, please do shut up!” Adah snapped her eyes to his, eyebrows drawn tight. She had just gotten over a little meltdown, she didn’t need his oddly Scottish-twanged thoughts pounding at her mind’s door right now._ _ _

___ _

___They glanced at each other and then back at her, eyebrows inching towards their hairlines. Curiosity pounded her head like a vacuum salesman. She checked her watch and decided it was time to go._ _ _

___ _

___“I’m afraid I must leave; I told Ms. White I’d be back in two minutes and my walk is a bit longer than that. Do enjoy the muffins Mr. Fell, I made them myself this morning. I’ll be back again next Tuesday, as I’m out this weekend for gigs. I’ll give you answers then, granted you’re willing to tell me your real name and why Mr. Crowley’s eyes seem suspiciously golden under those sunglasses. Have a good afternoon!” She’d slipped her shoes on and made her way to the door. She finally let it swing shut behind her and leaned against it for a moment before taking off for the bakery. If she found herself back at the bakery right on time, well, she wasn't going to be ungrateful. She’d already had her suspicions; this just ticked another box._ _ _


	2. A Meeting

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Adah died, once. It was odd. She had tea.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is a flashback, dream sequence, whatever you wish. It’s supposed to be in italics to signal that, but it’s been a couple years since i’ve done anything to do with HTML and can’t quite figure it out. I just think AO3 doesn’t like me. Enjoy anyways!

_  
_

A disconcertingly bright light seemed to emanate from everywhere and nowhere at all, bouncing off the glimmering floor back into the nothingness. It smelled oddly sweet yet sterile, reminding one of a hospital room recently freshened up with a bouquet of roses.

Adah was very aware of her breathing as she opened her eyes and then immediately shut them against the light. Her chest heaved and she sat up onto her elbows, attempting to crack open her protesting eyes.

Once she could see properly, she gingerly stood, cringing at the sound of rubble falling from her clothes and bouncing away from her. The pieces then faded into nothingness, leaving it silent once more.

Adah rotated slowly on her heel, stopping when she saw something that was to the effect of looking into a pond, only the pond’s shore was clouds and the pond was actually an aerial image of… The earth?

Adah approached, stunned. She had seen globes before, sure, but nothing like this. It looked lush and green and alive. She could see stars too, behind it. It thrilled her; they looked so real.

“Gorgeous, isn’t it?” 

She almost jumped. Almost. The padding of bare feet behind her seemed achingly loud, causing Adah to rub her right hand down her thigh repeatedly, as if she couldn’t smooth her skirt out quite enough. When the Woman stood beside her, Adah finally turned.

She gave a soft yet altogether commanding appearance; high cheekbones, sharp jawline, and strong hands coupled with deep brown eyes, curled grey hair, and a flowing pale pink dress.

The Woman looked at her as if expecting something, and Adah remembered that She had asked her a question. Adah nodded in response, and turned back to gaze at the stars.

“Where am I?”

“Where do you think you are, my dear?”

Adah sighed. So this is how this was going to go. “I think that I’m very much dead, ma’am.”

The Woman chuckled, following Adah’s gaze out into the void. Adah was just glad to have it off her face. 

“None of that ma’am nonsense, Adah. You’re a smart girl, I know you know my name. But yes, you are correct. Quite unfortunately, a bomb fell on the church you were taking shelter in, although it was very much not supposed to. But you see, my dear, I don’t think it’s quite your time yet.”

Adah slowly turned her gaze back to God’s, catching Her eyes and feeling very much like She was looking into Adah’s soul. Adah tried to do the same, to get any inkling on her thoughts or feelings, but hardly anything was coming through; aside from a small brush of love when She smiled.

“That won’t quite work my dear; I’m afraid I’m too thinly spread at the moment, taking care of many other things. Why don’t we sit and I can explain.”

God gestured behind them, and Adah turned to see a small table and a pair of chairs, oddly similar to the ones at the cafe that she loved to frequent before the war.

Adah followed God over, taking the seat on the right and then looking to Her expectantly. God smoothed her dress down before looking over to her. “Tea?” She asked softly. Adah shook her head and gave a long blink. When she opened her eyes again, there was a beautiful hand-painted teapot on the table beside her, one empty cup beside it and a full one in God’s hand. God tipped her head towards the empty cup. “If you change your mind.”

Adah nodded with a small smile and let her gaze wander back over the edge of the odd little portal, where she could see the top sliver of the earth.

“Ask your questions, Adah. I know you have them.”

That should’ve been condescending, Adah thought. She should’ve felt a bit affronted by the words, but the warm, full, motherly voice made her feel quite the opposite. It was a demand, of course, but she felt encouraged to respond anyways.

“Where are we, exactly? And what do you mean, ‘not quite my time yet?’”

God sighed, gazing down into her teacup. “We are in between, Adah. In between your world and heaven, and a bit in between life and not. I come here sometimes, or at least part of me does, to take in this thriving part of my creation. To keep track of things. And no-” she glanced over to Adah, who was ready to interject, “I can’t interfere. Well, I can, but I don’t like to. I gave you free will, I like you to apply it. Of course, there’s oft’ interference from some… Agents of mine, and of Downstairs, but we’ll get to that in a second.”

Adah gave a slow nod. The inbetween made sense, in a way. She knew she was dead, that was for sure, and she had imagined most of heaven to be much more populous than this. 

“Okay. So I’m dead, but not… Dead. Then why am I here? What happened to not interfering?” Adah found herself reaching for her teacup as she asked, and when she looked down it was filled. 

God smiled softly, her eyes drifting back to the earth in front of them. “Have you ever heard of the archangel Raphael, Adah?”

She nodded. Of course she had. Raphael was a healer; The Healer, the first one. Adah voiced this, her eyes trained on her thumb, which was steadily tapping the handle of her teacup.

God gave a noise of affirmation. “He was one of my first 7 creations. He hung the stars alongside me and his six brothers and sisters. He tended to everything and everyone, a careful tenderness in everything he did. He encouraged ideas, he encouraged thinking outside of the box. He asked questions. And I let him Fall.”

Adah searched Her face, confused. The honeyed eyes looked back at her, oddly watery. “In the beginning, Adah, in the very beginning, before the time and structure that your world is so dependent on existed, I was so dead-set on perfection that I hated to be questioned. I didn’t want to risk ruin, so I set up automatic protocols that would cast any angel out who wasn’t taking after myself; unquestioning and, well, god-like. When the angel who is now Lucifer -Satan, the Devil, whatever you wish to call Them- began questioning the way things work, Raphael was intrigued. He loved innovation, he was curious of new things; and so he began hanging around Them and Their crew, asking Them questions and asking questions alongside Them. When They Fell, he confronted me, confused and angry. This caused him to Fall in turn, because no one was meant to yell at Me. My biggest regret is being so caught up in perfection that I couldn’t see the good asking questions and straying from what was ‘normal'. This childish, ridiculous mindset caused my beautiful son to fall from Heaven into the ever-growing depths of Hell, which kills me every day.” God paused, letting out a sigh laden with emotion that Adah was trying to grasp.

Adah herself puffed out her cheeks, setting her cup back down and standing, heading back towards the portal. She wasn’t sure if God was going to follow, but She did, taking a seat on the edge and letting her bare feet dangle over. She looked up at Adah and patted the area beside Her, a small puff of cloud floating up. Adah tentatively sat, slipping her feet below the edge and curling her toes at the tingling feeling it caused. 

“So,” Adah started, encouraged by God’s gentle smile, “is that why heaven is like this? A loss of rigidity?” The smile dropped slightly.

“No, I’m afraid that by the time I realized the consequences of my perfection, the majority of my remaining angels believed just as much as I had in it, and pretty much refused to loosen up. Most of heaven remains akin to an empty, stark-white office building. That’s another part of why I like being here so much. It reminds me less of my mistakes.”

“Okay -okay. So what do you need me for? I’m not exactly a being of heaven over here; I’m not sure what I could do to… Help, I guess?”

God reached over and gently took Adah’s hand. Adah was surprised that she could properly feel it, calloused fingertips and all; it did leave a static-y tingle on her palm though. 

“Adah. My love. Your gift is so special, and you are so kind. I would like to send you back to earth to find my Raphael, as he is now. Find him, and find the good left in him. I would love for him to join me back in heaven, but I fear that if I appeared and told him that, he would refuse. Nurture his nurturing, steer him towards the light just enough that he won't immediately turn me away when I approach.”

God looked down into Adah’s eyes, Her own crinkling at the corners with a slightly watery smile. Adah couldn’t bring herself to smile back. She didn’t know what to do, how to feel. She could see the pain that God felt, the want to redeem Raphael, to bring him home. But she also didn’t want to go back. She didn’t want to be some pawn to Her big game, having to fix a mess she didn’t make. But to lose a son… Adah could understand, in a way. To love someone like that, so so much, and have them ripped away was like having your heart ripped out of your body. Then to be able to watch them from afar but be unable to really do much… Adah’s mind was made up before she had even really realized it was.

“Okay.”

“Okay?”

“Okay. Yes. I’ll do it. I’ll find him.”

God’s watery smile turned into a beam. “Oh, oh thank you Adah, love, thank you. Do stand up dear, I must send you back quickly now, while your body is still mostly intact down there. I’ll keep you safe for the rest of the war, my treat to you. I won’t,” she stopped, sighing as Adah stood up, “I’m afraid I won’t be able to help you much. There’s something big, something ineffable, that will happen in around 70 years time, and I feel that you may struggle to find him before then, and for that I am sorry. But not to worry; you’ll be perfectly fine until then.”

Adah stopped the smoothing down of her skirt. “Wait- will I be effectively immortal?”

God twisted her mouth slightly, glancing over to Her world. “Yes and no? Don’t go doing anything dangerous or getting quite sick, but you’ll stay pretty much the same until we’ve gotten to the point in which Raphael will speak to me. After that… Well, we’ll have a talk. Anyways, time for you to pop back down there!”

Adah felt her toes and fingers begin to go all tingly, and she looked deep into God’s eyes a last time. “Wait! Isn’t there anything more you can tell me? Where-”

But God was gone, and Adah’s world was black. There was a brush over her knuckles, like a phantom calloused thumb.

“Good luck, Adah.”

__


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Some reveals. Discomfort. More tea.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi all! So sorry I've been gone for like 3 months. Started work at the end of the summer and then BAM! School started. It's been crazy, but I hope *knock on wood* to get the rest of the story out before Christmastime. We'll see.
> 
> Also, I do realise that my Christianity lore is way off in Chapter 2, but I'm leaving it.
> 
> Thank you so much for sticking with me!
> 
> -Rose

It was the fluttering of curtains that woke Adah; she had left her windows open overnight to cool down, and the early morning breeze was beginning to kick up. She rubbed at her eyes furiously, God’s words still echoing in her head: “Find my angels. Good luck.”

Her feet hit the thick rug under her bed with a muffled thump and then began to shuffle to her bathroom. Leaving the window open was perhaps a mistake; she was freezing now, even in her fleece pants.

Adah glared at her reflection, a pile of frizzy wine-colored rat’s nest stared back at her. It’s not too bad, she’d complain whenever Ms. White poked fun at her about it. Plus, the color was worth the damage to her curls, right?

She had to pause for a moment as a neighbor opened his door and stepped into the hall; his frustration wafted through her doorway and made her nose twitch. Another domestic with his wife. She’d have to try and catch one of them at some point and see if she could put in a good word. She knew she shouldn’t meddle but… She just wanted them to be happy.

Adah blinked her way out of her own head and wrangled her hair into a braid before moving on with her morning.

With skirt and sweater on and bag in hand, Adah stepped into the chilled September air. The roads were beginning to fill, early-bird Londoners bustling off to work or breakfast or grocery shopping.

The bakery was hardly a five minute walk from Adah’s flat, and she spent most of it tapping a rhythm onto her thigh with her free hand. The breeze reddened her nose and ears, but she didn’t mind it. It kept her awake.

 

The morning was rather slow, surprisingly. Adah had spent much of it chatting with Ms. White and Gerard - the other cashier. She was almost wishing for more customers; her hands were itching for something to do.

It seemed the Lord had answered her wishes in some way when Adah heard the bell above to door chime and popped out of the kitchen to see Gerard addressing two men, one with a halo of fluffy white curls and another with spiked flaming red hair.

Adah kept herself mostly hidden in the archway while they ordered, Mr. Fell smiling brightly at Gerard while Crowley scowled, his head tilting menacingly. Adah could feel that he thought something was off about Gerard. She agreed.

A hand landing on her shoulder caused Adah to jump. “It’s just me, dear,” said a lilting voice that immediately caused her shoulders to soften. She turned to see Ms. White beside her, smiling softly and looking out into the store. 

“Are these the men you’ve been talking about? That you’ve been looking for?” Adah followed her gaze back, nodding. 

“Yeah. I’ve found them, but now I just don’t really know what to do. I’m so lost.”

“Well, at the very least keep talking to them. No harm in that, eh? Why don’t you bring them their order and have a chat? You’re about to be off anyways.” She squeezed Adah’s shoulder and then turned, retreating back into the kitchen. 

Adah waited until they had sat to leave the doorway and approach Gerard, who was finishing up their order.

“Mind if I bring it out? Old friends you see.” she asked quietly but with as much chipper-ness as she could muster. He squinted his eyes at her but smiled rather sleazily and placed the plate and two mugs into her open hands.

“‘Course, dollface.” The hand that she felt on her lower back made her stomach churn and she rushed out from behind the counter and over to the corner where the men sat.

“Safe to assume the cocoa and pastry is for you, Mr. Fell?”

“Adah! Thank you dear, and you’d be quite correct. Care to join us?” His smile shone bright as ever, and Adah couldn;t help but smile back, although it faltered slightly at the glower fixed on Crowley’s face.

“On-Only if its alright with both of you. I’m off shift anyways.”

She heard a thump from under the table and Crlowey’s head snapped up at Mr. Fell, then over to Adah. “Oh. Right. Sure. Why not.” She could feel some underlying… Anger? Suspicion? Both? But couldn’t tell where it was directed.

Nevertheless, she slipped her apron off, hung it over the back of her chair, and sat.

“So how long have you been employed here my dear? I could’ve sworn I’ve hadn’t seen this place before last week.”

Definitely don’t remember it before…

She blinked Crowley’s thoughts out of her head. “Been here for nearly two years. Dunno how you could've missed it, big green awning and all that.”

Mr. Fell looked thoughtfully into his mug, but Adah wasn’t quite finished.

“Last time we spoke, I made some requests of you, and you of me. I’d quite like to get those out of the way, if you don’t mind.” 

Fell nodded. “Very well. Not here though. Care to take a stroll back to my bookshop?”

A grin spread onto Adah’s face. “Always.”

 

Adah pretended to not notice the small cloud of dust that rose when she sat heavily into the plush chair that Mr. Fell had motioned her towards. She watched it settle onto the clutter around her, glowing in the slivers of afternoon sun that streamed in from the windows and through the book shelves. It smelled, as one might expect, like old books in the cramped back room they were now seated in. Old books and wine. Adah could see a bit out of one of the windows, the people outside of it all passing by in a rush.

A clink came from in front of her and Adah turned back to see Crowley sprawling himself onto the wingback chair across from the couch and a newly-steaming cup of tea on the table in front of her.

“Seems like all you do when I’m around is bring me tea. This usual for you or is Mr. Fell making you do it?” Adah asked, with only a little bit of cheek.

Crowley ignored her, effectively not answering her question. At least not on purpose.

Neither.

Adah coughed lightly and picked up her tea, taking a careful sip.

It's not poisoned for Someone’s sake.

“It very well could be! You’re watching me so intently it seems as though you’re waiting for me to keel over or something! Plus I’ve only met you once before. I’ve every right to be a bit cautious.” Adah snapped, bringing her tea back up to her mouth again.

Crowley’s eyebrows raised along with his hands, which he put up to show a bit of a surrender. “Right. Well. Right.” They stared at each other in silence a moment longer, Adah trying not to crack a smile at the ridiculousness of it all, before Crowley spoke up.

“That coworker of yours is a right git. Why don’t you ever tell him off? You’re rather good at it in my experience.”

Adah’s shoulders slumped, and her hand began a repetitive path from hip-crease to knee and back again, smoothing her skirt down and then wrinkling it back up. “Yes well, you’ve seen firsthand how well I do with advances like that. Best I can do is ignore it and wait for it to pass, else I feel I’d have a bit of an episode, and don’t want that in front of the customers do I?”

Crowley was absolutely not pleased with that. “What? You’re just going to keep letting him come on to you? You could get him fired, that boss lady of yours looked like she’d be the pitying type!”

Adah curled her lip. “Absolutely not! She only has one other employee besides Gerard and I, and no one’s applying! She’d go under without him, as much as I hate to say it. I couldn’t,” Adah paused, retreating into herself slightly, her shoulders hunching and her hands wringing, “I couldn’t do that to her. She’s done so much for me.”

Crowley’s face fell slightly, his tightly-drawn brows softening. Before he could say anything in response, Mr. Fell bustled into the room. “Who’s done so much for you, dear?”

“No one, angel,” Crowley said dismissively, but with less edge than usual. Fell glanced between the two of them a couple of times before nodding and seating himself in the chair beside Crowley. 

“Right. Well, I suppose we ought to get started then. First of all, as you’ve gleaned, my real name isn’t Ezra Fell. It’s Aziraphale. To be more precise; Principality Aziraphale, Guardian of the Eastern Gate.” He said it softly, slowly, as if he expected Adah to freak out, to run. She supposed that was rather fair, though, as it's not everyday you meet an angel. 

Adah already knew he was an angel, though, so she was unphased. “I suspected you were occult of some sort,” she ignored Aziraphale’s indignant ‘Ethereal!’ And turned to Crowley, “So, wild guess, that’d make you a demon?”

He smirked a rather pointy smirk. “That’s me.”

Aziraphale leant towards her. “We’ve been here since the very beginning, you see, him being the original tempter and me guarding Eden. We-”

Adah shot up straight. “Wait wait wait. The original tempter? The snake that tempted Eve? I thought that was the Devil Themself?”

Huh. Most mortals call Satan a man. That’s strange-

Crowley interrupted his own thoughts. “Yes, well, they got that wrong, didn’t they?”

“The bible is hardly accurate all the time, my dear.” Aziraphale interjected

Adah nodded. “Fair. S’that why your eyes look like that then, Mr. Crowley?”

His brows raised, eyes widening slightly. His shoulders stiffened and his relaxed, leaned back posture started to look like a defensive one. She could feel just a little bit of fear permeate the room. Right. Golden, snake-like eyes probably haven’t been well received by humans in the past.

“I think they’re nice. It’s good to know another person with funky looking eyes.” Adah gestured up to her own, her one deep brown and one icy blue eye blinking over to the (not) man who’s shoulders were softening slightly.

“Yeah. Yep. Snake eyes,” he grumbled, swinging his feet down to the floor and leaning towards her, his elbows resting on his knees. “I think its time for the questioning to take a bit of a turn. What are you?”

Adah sighed heavily, her hand resuming its rubbing from hip crease to knee and back again. “Right. Well. I think the word for it is clairvoyant? I can read some thoughts and feel emotions, basically? If someones thinking really hard, or I’m concentrating, or not focusing on my,” she gestured around her head, “my mental barriers, I suppose? I usually feel emotions pretty easily, it’s the thoughts that are a little more complicated unless they’re strong ones.”

Adah glanced up at him to see him blink, and then blink again. Crowley slowly removed his glasses and rested his elbow on his knee.

“You mean to tell me that you’re just human?” he asks incredulously, “Not some well disguised something from above or below? You’re just a boring ol’ human with weird-ass powers?”

“Uhm… Yes?”

Aziraphale cleared his throat. “Right, well-”

“What am I thinking right now?” Crowley interrupted, leaning as far forward in his chair as he could.

I had better think something good oh fuck SNAKES  
“I had better think something good oh fuck snakes.”

Crowley leaned back again. “Huh.”


End file.
